Ukraine faces critical shortage of Patriot air defence systems, Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has said the country was facing a critical shortage of Patriot air defence missile systems and warned that supplies could fall further if the war continues.

Speaking to reporters this week, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s air defence capacity was under severe strain and stressed that continued fighting would further reduce available weapon stockpiles.

He also expressed concern about what he described as the negative impact of the war in Iran on international diplomatic efforts and on the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy referred to contacts involving US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, saying “they are constantly in contact with Iran and do not have time for Ukraine.”

Separately, the Ukrainian president reiterated that the country was experiencing what he described as a critical shortage of Patriot air defence systems, saying “we are now in such a shortage that it cannot get worse.”

Zelenskyy also referenced figures related to the use of Patriot interceptors, saying that since the start of operations against Iran, Israel and its allies had used around 800 Patriot missiles to intercept Iranian targets, while Ukraine had received around 600 such missiles throughout the entire period of the full-scale war.